No to Glade Run

September 21, 2013Letters to the Editor

Residents of Butler County need to tell the county commissioners they are against any funding for Glade Run Lake.

The state Legislature and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, through lack of foresight and planning, dropped the ball causing the lake to be closed.

Because funds that have been accrued from the natural gas drilling impact fees are supposed to be spent on parks, one of the commissioners wants to donate $300,000 to rebuild the deteriorated dam. Another commissioner says there is only $110,000 available.

I don’t care if there is only $5 available. It shouldn’t be spent on Glade Run Lake. Although the lake is located in Butler County, it is not a county park or facility. I thought the commissioners overstepped the line when they donated $4,000 in this year’s budget.

It will take an estimated $7 million to rebuild the dam and remove accumulated silt. The Glade Run Conservancy has been in existence since August 2011 and has raised a little over $100,000 towards this amount. I wish these folks all the luck, but I don’t think it’s a project the county should be involved with.

Here’s an idea for that natural gas windfall: Butler County has several municipalities with community swimming pools. Every year they struggle to make ends meet. How about a one-time donation of $10,000 to each of the pools that is open to the public?